Cenesthetic pain sensations illustrated by an artist suffering from migraine with typical aura

In addition to attacks with the well-known pulsating characteristics of mig rainous headache, migraine patients may experience a variety of peculiar pa in sensations which are phenomenologically similar to the spontaneous sensa tions occurring in patients with thalamic disturbances and to the cenesthes ias described as basic symptoms in functional psychoses. A 36-year-old arti st with a history of migraine with typical aura provided impressive illustr ations of cenesthetic pain sensations experienced during his migraine attac ks, including sensations of pressure and sensations of pulling. It is sugge sted that cenesthetic pain sensations represent aura symptoms of migraine i ndicative of focal cerebral dysfunction, probably in the thalamic region. T he occurrence of cenesthetic pain sensations as a migraine symptom supports the notion of an organic etiology of cenesthesias, as postulated in Huber' s concept of basic symptoms of functional psychoses.